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The Walking Dead _ Season 8, Episode 1 (Greg Nicotero/AMC)

(Photo by Greg Nicotero/AMC)

30 Zombie TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer

The viral success of AMC’s The Walking Dead spread to spinoffs like The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City while fans bit into HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us video game and Netflix viewers slurped up the South Korean teen-centric drama series All of Us Are Dead. So, it’s no wonder the big brains at the studios and networks think audiences have an unquenchable hunger for zombie-focused series.

But while those shows all tackled the undead from a similar focus (aim for the head!), others like The CW’s iZombie and Netflix’s Santa Clarita Diet tried to find a way for zombies and humans to coexist in the comedy space.

Since many of these programs have found ride-or-dies both with the critical brains who write about them and the meat sacks who watch, we bit into our Tomatometer scores to find the best-reviewed zombie shows on TV and streaming, (including a few that feature zombie characters even if they’re not the main food group).

The series are ranked by Tomatometer score, then shows without Tomatometer scores are listed by Audience Score (denoted by “A” and its rank; see Audience Scores on the series’ pages), then those without any scores are listed alphabetically.

#1
Adjusted Score: 101947%
Critics Consensus: A pleasant change from typically gory zombie shows, The Returned is a must-see oddity that's both smart and sure to disturb.

Ash vs Evil Dead (2015)
99%

#2
Synopsis: Ash is baaaack! Bruce Campbell reprises his "Evil Dead" film role as heroic, chainsaw-handed monster fighter Ash Williams, now an... [More]

Kingdom (2019)
98%

#3
Synopsis: The deceased king rises and a mysterious plague begins to spread; the prince must face a new breed of enemies... [More]
Directed By: Kim Seong-hun, In-je Park

The Returned (2012)
97%

#4
Synopsis: In a small Alpine village, a group of men, women and children is in a state of confusion as they... [More]

In the Flesh (2013)
97%

#5
Synopsis: This drama centers on teenage zombie Kieren Walker, who returns home after his death in 2009 to a less-than-warm welcome.... [More]
Directed By: Jonny Campbell

The Last of Us (2023)
96%

#6
Synopsis: Joel and Ellie must survive ruthless killers and monsters on a trek across America after an outbreak.... [More]

Pushing Daisies (2007)
96%

#7
Synopsis: Ned possesses a rare gift -- the ability to restore life to the dead -- with a touch. He puts... [More]

iZombie (2015)
92%

#8
Synopsis: When over-achieving medical resident Liv Moore attends a party that turns into a zombie feeding frenzy, she ends up joining... [More]

Dead Set (2008)
92%

#9
Synopsis: Inspired, says creator Charlie Brooker, by the classic horror film "Dawn of the Dead," this five-episode series chronicles a nightmare... [More]

Santa Clarita Diet (2017)
89%

#10
Synopsis: Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant star in this Netflix-original series as married realtors, Sheila and Joel, who are living a... [More]

Black Summer (2019)
87%

#11
Synopsis: Set in the "Z Nation" universe, this series follows a crack team of special forces as it fights for hope... [More]
Directed By: Abram Cox

Adjusted Score: 86494%
Critics Consensus: A noteworthy ensemble cast combined with creepy storytelling and campy, outrageous thrills make American Horror Story: Coven a potently structured fright-fest.

Helix (2014)
81%

#13
Synopsis: Drs. Alan Farragut and Julia Walker -- scientists who used to be married and, at one time, worked for the... [More]

Synopsis: Following his departure from The Commonwealth, Daryl Dixon washes ashore in France, raising the ire of a splintered but growing... [More]

Synopsis: Maggie and Negan travel into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan long ago cut off from the mainland; the crumbling city is filled... [More]

Glitch (2015)
80%

#16
Synopsis: A police officer in a small country town finds his life turned upside down when six former residents return from... [More]
Directed By: Tony Ayres

Death Valley (2011)
80%

#17
Synopsis: Maintaining law and order is the mandate of the UTF, but this isn't exactly Benson and Stabler working the streets... [More]

The Walking Dead (2010)
79%

#18
Synopsis: Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman, this gritty drama portrays life in the months and years... [More]

American Gods (2017)
77%

#19
Synopsis: Ex-convict Shadow Moon roams a world he doesn't understand, left adrift by the recent, tragic death of his wife. Little... [More]

#20
Synopsis: Standalone episodes focus on both new and established characters set in the world of the original "The Walking Dead" series.... [More]

#21
Synopsis: A sign of the apocalypse has begun. Reports of a rapidly changing world for unknown reasons underscore this gritty drama,... [More]

#22
Synopsis: The town of Jasper, Ala., was known as a top coal producer, but now it's "fame" is being the site... [More]

Daybreak (2019)
70%

#23
Synopsis: Navigating a post-apocalyptic world full of zombies and "Mad Max"-style gangs, a teenage outcast searches for his lost love.... [More]

The Returned (2015)
67%

#24
Synopsis: From executive producers Carlton Cuse ("Lost," "Bates Motel") and Raelle Tucker ("True Blood"), "The Returned" is set in a small... [More]

Resident Evil (2022)
53%

#25
Synopsis: Year 2036 -- 14 years after the spread of Joy caused so much pain, Jade Wesker fights for survival in... [More]

Synopsis: Federal agent Leon S. Kennedy teams up with TerraSave staff member Claire Redfield to investigate a zombie outbreak.... [More]
Directed By: Hiroyuki Kobayashi

Reality Z (2020)
17%

#27
Synopsis: As zombies attack Rio de Janeiro, reality TV show contestants hunker down in a TV studio where they must deal... [More]

Z Nation (2014)
--

#A1
Synopsis: Several years since a zombie virus swept across America, there's only one person -- who goes by just Murphy --... [More]

Freakish (2016)
--

#A2
Synopsis: Students don't usually like having to go to school under normal circumstances, so imagine how the students at Kent High... [More]

Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus:
Starring:


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